


That Which His Heart Desires

by LinkishImp (kanna37)



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Follows my other stories in this universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29158677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanna37/pseuds/LinkishImp
Summary: Zelda finds out unequivocally that Mipha was right. Ties into my other one shots from the Age of Calamity/Breath of the Wild universe. The first one is called The Light in His Eyes. Too Much Praise, For Her Sake, and It Must Be Something are the other titles. Those three can be read in any order.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Kudos: 17





	That Which His Heart Desires

**That Which His Heart Desires**

**~oOo~**

“Zelda, my dear, may I... speak with you privately?”

The princess, still startled by the new, somewhat tentative manner her father had begun addressing her with in the aftermath of the battle for the Great Plateau, nodded after a few moments, eyes a little wide. What could he have to say that he wouldn't in front of Link and the others?

“Of course, father,” she agreed quickly. If he were going to upbraid her, she'd rather it be in private, though she didn't think he was angry at her for anything she'd done after they'd been separated at the castle and she'd – _they'd all_ – thought him dead. Still, better safe than sorry, especially since Link was right there with her, as always, and of all people, she couldn't stand the thought of him hearing her father take her to task _again_ , of him thinking her useless. _Forever anyone but him, goddesses, please._

Of course, her power had finally manifested... and perhaps her father wished to know what had triggered its release. _I wonder what he would think if I were to tell him the truth of that... would he accept it, accept my feelings in this matter, as Mipha suggested? But if he... no, now isn't the time for that kind of thing. Best to think of all that later, after the Calamity has been defeated and sealed again._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the object of them as he stepped back in response to her father's request and allowed the two of them to move away alone, and she fought back a blush with everything she had inside as she met his eyes and he gave her all his support through them in that quiet way of his. Despite his less-than-talkative nature, those eyes always spoke volumes, and in them was a promise to share his courage with her, to bear all her burdens _with_ her whenever she needed it.

They shared a destiny, after all – they were in this _together._

She would never be able to say just how grateful she was for him; she didn't believe the words even existed. If they did, they weren't in any language she personally knew.

Drawing in a breath and then slowly exhaling, Zelda inclined her head at Link, still holding his eyes for a last few, meaningful seconds, and then finally broke his gaze and turned her attention to the king as Link wandered a little ways away so as not to overhear.

“What is it that you wish of me, father? Shall I brief you on what has occurred since we were separated?”

Rhoam, who had watched the byplay between his daughter and Link with a discerning eye, turned a thoughtful gaze upon Zelda. “Yes, well, we will get to that later, my dear, though the others have filled me in a bit. But I wish to hear first what it was that finally awakened your power. How wrong was I to insist that you train almost to the exclusion of all else?” he asked heavily.

Zelda's eyes welled with tears that she just barely managed to hold back; his contention over the years that she was not working hard enough, not taking her training seriously had caused much heartache for her, and dissension between them. She'd always understood his reasons, understood the situation, her royal training had made certain of that - if she didn't wake her power before Ganon returned, he stood to lose his only child, not to mention the entire kingdom would be doomed, as well.

That understanding hadn't made the situation any easier to bear, though.

However, despite her willingness to explain away, forgive, and forget that whole matter, this was a subject that had the potential to be entirely humiliating, there was no getting around that fact, and she was extremely glad that her father hadn't demanded an answer in front of her protector.

“It's not as though any of us knew what would trigger it, father; mother always said it was a birthright, but I never felt any sort of power, had no understanding of why I struggled so with something that should have been ready for my use at any time. Although...” she hesitated for a few seconds, then finished slowly, “Link did point out once that there was no reason for my sealing power _to_ have awakened; there was nothing to seal away before now. I'll admit... in his mind it all seemed so simple, and oh, how I prayed that he was right.”

Zelda was hoping that explanation would be enough. She didn't really want to explain the _real_ reason; that it was Link's protection of her against all four shards of the Calamity _and_ Astor, a protection that was about to see him dead, that had triggered it. In the end, she would not - she _could_ not - lose Link. Especially not already thinking that she'd lost her father - to have lost both would have been far too much for her to bear.

“And I, king, was unable to grasp that same simple point,” Rhoam acknowledged tiredly, recalling her to the conversation. “Because of that, I did nothing but make your path more difficult than it already was. I am so, so sorry, my daughter.” He sighed, then shook his head at Zelda just as she was about to excuse his previous behavior further. “I am aware, however, that it was not general need that awakened it, but something far more powerful, indeed.”

Flushing heavily, and quite dismayed by his foreknowledge of the _true_ reason, Zelda gathered all her available courage and met her father's gaze regardless of her embarrassment. “Impa told you.” At the king's simple nod, she cleared her throat and fidgeted a little. “Then why ask me as though you did not already know?”

“I wished to hear it from you.”

“I see. Very well, then. I must face this at some point, it may as well be now as any other time, I suppose.” She paused for a long moment, glancing around to make sure her knight was far enough away and wouldn't overhear, then exhaled deeply and said, “It was because of... Link. Because I... love him,” she murmured softly. “He was going to die to save me, and all I could see was you... and then him, and I... I couldn't - I had to stop it. _I had to_.”

Rhoam nodded, his expression unchanging, to Zelda's hopeful relief. He didn't seem _angry_ about her feelings. “What do you plan to do about this? Does he feel the same for you?”

“I am certain I don't know, father,” she replied, a little exasperated by that question. _Though Mipha thinks it is so, that he feels the same for me, I still just don't... know... and then there's the war._ Their world was on the verge of ending – now was most certainly _not_ the time for such things, at least, that's what she felt certain her father would think. “Now is hardly the time to be worrying about such matters, and we have not really spoken of anything that was not strictly necessary.”

The king chuckled.

“Allow me to disabuse you of such a notion, Zelda. What better time than this? I will only live so long; you will, of course, rule after me, but the princess becoming betrothed to the hero will be a good thing for the people to hear, because it will spread hope that there will _be_ an after, that one day things will be good again, and that we are actively _planning_ for that day. It gives us all something to fight towards, and in such days as these, anything that brings a rise in morale only helps our cause.”

His words did not seem to pacify his daughter, to his amusement.

“ _Father!”_ she hissed with a panicky glance at her hero from the corner of her eyes. “I do not even know if Link would be amenable to such a thing as wedding me; besides, to ask him to one day help rule a land he's already giving his all to save might just be too much, don't you think? Perhaps it would be better to offer him a boon once this is over, whatever he wants that is in our power to grant as reward?”

At that, Rhoam truly laughed. Despite his earlier question of Zelda, he was very well aware of Link's feelings towards his royal charge (everyone was, really – the boy was no good at hiding it, and he didn't even appear to be trying most of the time) and as far as the king was concerned, who better to help her lead their country in the future than the one who had saved it countless times in the past? If Hyrule couldn't be left safely to the Hero and Princess' leadership, then they needed to look a lot closer to home than the Calamity's presence for the reason why Hyrule was such an historically troubled land.

“Why wait for this to be over? We have no idea how long we might be fighting this war, and with that mindset, such matters may never be addressed.” To Zelda's eternal horror, her father turned back towards the others – _Link –_ with a large, awfully knowing grin on his face, and as she stood frozen, wondering just what he was about to do and how badly it was going to sting, he spoke again, and her heart eased in its headlong pace... for the moment.

“Sir Link.”

The young knight responded instantly, though Rhoam noted him glancing quickly at Zelda to make sure she was okay first. _He protects her even from me, now..._ Guilt rose up that Link even felt the need to do so, but he determinedly set it aside.

“Sire.”

“Without you, we would not have made it this far. Just your presence was enough to buy us the time for the princess to awaken her power. Even this much hope that we have, is first and foremost because of you, for without the Hero and the sword that seals the darkness, we could not win this, even now.” Link was beginning to look quite uncomfortable at the king's praise, though he refused to interrupt his liege, so Rhoam continued on quickly, playing to the smiles – and one scowl – on the faces of the people close enough by to overhear. “We would offer you a boon, anything your heart desires that we are able to fulfill. What would you have of us?”

Inwardly, Zelda sighed with relief. At least her father hadn't just come right out and offered Link her hand. It would have been too devastating to be forced to watch him try to come up with a refusal that wouldn't offend; to be rebuffed so – and in public - would just be the end for her. She would literally die of humiliation and hurt.

But her father's question was rather silly, when it came to Link, anyway, or so she thought; she fully expected her knight to demur, to say that it was his duty and he was proud to fulfill it, no reward necessary. So, when Link actually seemed to be considering the king's words, instead, she looked at him with surprise, only to see a rather conflicted expression on his usually calm face as he cast her a rapid glance, then looked back at her father. But then his features went calculating, and her head tilted in confusion.

_What in Hyrule could he possibly be thinking that would cause him to look at father like that?_

“Anything my _heart_ desires? _Anything??_ ” Link repeated, deliberately stressing it.

“Do you doubt my word?” her father asked gently.

Link's response was immediate. “No, sire.”

“Then ask whatever you will.”

The hero didn't respond for several very long-seeming seconds further, though oddly enough he spent most of those seconds staring at the Temple of Time from their hasty encampment near the plateau tower, but then something seemed to settle inside him, and he looked nothing but decisive in that moment as he looked up at the king.

Decision made, and courage fully engaged, it appeared.

“Then I would ask for your blessing to speak to the princess of my desire to wed her, Your Majesty.”

Despite the earlier discussion with her father, Zelda had not in any way expected Link to ask for such a thing... nor to out and out admit that he loved her – especially in front of their friends and allies. (And Revali.) Because coming from him, that was a declaration of his feelings plain and simple, and everyone who knew him knew it. She felt faint and overheated, embarrassed and wildly excited... happy and in love, and now no longer afraid it was all one-sided, all at the same time.

Though their friends all wore large smiles – minus Sidon and Mipha, who had been called home on an emergency (King Dorephan had need of his daughter's healing skill, as he'd been seriously injured in a fight with an attacking Guardian), silence reigned as they all waited for what King Rhoam would say to the Hero's request.

“You truly wish to wed my daughter, then? You would be the next king?” Rhoam asked curiously.

“No, that's wrong. I don't care about that. I'll be whatever she chooses for me to be. _She_ is _all_ that matters, and I will ever be willing to give her whatever she wishes of me – no matter how little or how much that turns out to be,” the young man returned, his wonderful, expressive eyes pinned to Zelda with utter devotion in the bright blue gaze. _Mipha_ _was_ _right, then..._ Her heart fluttered at the realization, but it was bittersweet, because her joy was going to be the other girl's pain.

But there was nothing for it; if he loved her, then he _didn't_ love the Zora princess in that way, and that was all there was to it.

Besides... she had a promise to fulfill, to give Link as much happiness as she could if he indeed chose her, and she had every intention of following through on that now that he had. All she could hope was that the diminutive Zora was also correct in her thoughts on her own happiness - that she would find her own love someday – and Zelda did, with all her heart.

_Back to the matter at hand..._

Flowery speech was lost on Link, and the princess knew that. But that was okay with her, because her knight was much more the type to speak his mind and heart _truthfully_ , not to hide behind a lot of pretty words that meant less than nothing in the end. He was here, before those who were important to her and to _them_ , asking her father's blessing – and hers, as well – to do no more than speak his heart to her, and in that moment, no other way that this could have happened seemed better to her.

“Then the boon you wish to ask is Zelda's hand.”

Now Link turned his attention fully to the king, though the frown on his face spoke loudly enough for all to see his displeasure with the way that had been phrased.

“Again, no, Your Majesty. That is a question I will only ask the princess herself; it would be extremely disrespectful otherwise,” he clarified crisply. “I ask _you_ for your blessing to speak to her _about_ this matter, and nothing more.”

Despite the fact that there were some there that were a little uncomfortable with Link's... _candor_ right then, for lack of a better word, Zelda's broad smile didn't change, and that was all her knight cared about. He smiled tentatively back at her, his smile widening a little more as her own got even brighter at the sight.

“Then it seems that you do not even need that, if the smile on my daughter's face is anything to go by, Hero. Still, a question was asked, and I will answer it. Yes, Sir Link of Faron, you have my blessing to speak further about this matter with my daughter.”

Link blinked, his attention pulled once more from Zelda at the king's words. “Sir Link... of Faron?”

“That is where your family originally hails from, is it not? I spent some days looking the matter over, and though it appears it was never used as such, your three-times removed grandfather _was_ given a title for extraordinary service to the crown. So you are rightfully Sir Link of Faron, a landed baron of the kingdom,” Rhoam explained. “As you know, the crown rarely awards title to anyone, and only for the most exceptional service; we do not wish to risk our citizens to the guidance of a large, soft, foolish noble class. However, no one could argue that you, of all people, are not deserving of just such a trust. In fact, as many times as you have already saved this kingdom down throughout history, most would argue that you deserve her hand _and_ the crown based on that alone, my daughter's own wishes in the matter aside.”

“Their arguments for such would fall on deaf ears, Sire. While I live, no one else but she will assume that throne. If she agrees to my request, I will sit beside her and help her in any way she needs me to, but _she_ will be the one to rule,” Link replied quietly but firmly, his calm reception of such a possibility a chilling warning to those who knew him. He would do whatever it took to protect Zelda's right to rule.

_Whatever it took._

“I do not doubt that, Hero,” Rhoam responded. “If I did, you would not get near my daughter, or the throne.”

Link inclined his head to the king – _we understand each other, then –_ thanked him politely for his blessing, and once more turned his full attention to the young woman he loved, everyone else beginning to fade from his mind. She was still smiling radiantly at him, a smile that set his pulse racing.

“Would you walk with me, highness?” he asked softly, offering his arm to her, and his heart soared as she moved forward and took it, their audience completely forgotten now, by the both of them.

Rhoam watched them go, a bittersweet smile on his face.

Zelda was a more-than-capable adult woman now, no one who had witnessed the events of the last several days would ever argue otherwise, and Link was fully her equal.

She didn't need her father anymore. No, now it was time for him to let a very different man step in.

_Where did all the years go?_

It was the same question asked by every generation of parents since time began... now it was _his_ turn to understand exactly why.

And oh, did he ever.

**~oOo~**

Zelda barely managed to hold on to her tongue long enough to reach a discreet distance from the rest of the group; her question burst from her, clearly startling Link, whose eyes widened as he tensed in surprise at the suddenness.

“Whatever possessed you to ask father for my hand so publicly?”

Of everything that had happened in the last day, including the shock of her father's return after thinking him dead with Hyrule Castle's fall, that was the strangest thing to her. Usually, her hero was not the type to put himself forward in such a visible manner, after all. This seemed very out-of-character for him – although he could step up and be very decisive, even commanding when it was needed, she had to admit. He certainly couldn't be described as timid, or anything.

After a moment, he chuckled a little, cheeks and the tips of his ears a charming red color, though his eyes remained serious.

“I didn't ask him for his permission to marry you, princess,” he corrected, once more pointing out something he'd already addressed with her father. “Only for his blessing to ask _you_ for your hand. You aren't an object for someone to own or to just... _give away,_ ” he added, frowning distastefully as he thought about it a little more. “I would never disrespect you like that; though your father has given me his blessing, if you do _not_ return my feelings and wish to accept me on your own account, then I hope you do not. I want you to be happy above all else, and if I cannot be the man to make that happen, then I would rather see you with the one who would, whoever that may be.”

Touched all the way to her very soul, Zelda's eyes welled with tears once again, though this time she made no effort to stop them from falling. Link couldn't mistake them in any way for sadness through the smile beaming from her, however. And as had happened several times since she'd finally unlocked her power, she began to glow, just faintly, but it was enough to make his eyes widen again, this time with awe. She was so beautiful already, and that golden light burning gently around her just added to the divine picture she was presenting him with. He was completely enamored... and determined with it.

He was going to do everything in his power to keep that glow on her face for the rest of his life, and he could no longer doubt that she truly _did_ return his feelings and he would have that chance, for she didn't try to hide that fact in any way as her eyes burned into his with invite.

He'd been hoping for just such an invitation for a few weeks now, but right when it had seemed he might get his deepest wish, they'd been attacked by Astor and the Blight Ganons on the field at Fort Hateno, and he'd ordered Impa to take the princess and flee, knowing he was about to die. He had accepted that fact for love of her, though with much pained regret for what he'd thought his lost chance.

He was fully a match for any of the shards of the calamity, or even two or three at one time. He could probably handle all four of them at once, but Astor was _also_ on the field, and on top of his mere presence as a threat, he was able to continually regenerate the Blights. Link knew his own strength, and knew it _would_ eventually fail as with anyone else, potions and food and fables aside.

But when he'd been saved by the princess' power bursting from her with the terrified wail of his name accompanying it, he'd been shocked speechless. She'd finally found her power... and it had been _for his sake._ He'd been planning from that moment on to present his heart to her and beg her to take it - and him - at his first opportunity.

Fate and the king had played right into that determination, and now his chance had come.

“Link,” she murmured, blushing, her eyes locked with his own and completely unguarded, letting him clearly see what he'd longed for all the many weeks that he'd spent in her company.

He wanted to kiss her so _badly_ , but he had some things to say to her, and a question to ask first. This was the most important moment of his life – of both their lives. Forget Ganon and their duty and destiny and the master sword, and everything else that had happened over the last year... _this_ moment outweighed all of that, for _this_ moment presaged and led into the _rest_ of their lives.

“So much has happened, and in such a rapid manner,” he began slowly, holding her eyes seriously, “if someone had asked me what I had planned for my life just a few months ago, I would have told them that I was a knight, and that I would remain one in the kingdom's service for the rest of my life. I had no further ambition, never thought of marrying, of being anything more than a soldier. But then I was assigned to guard you... and before I knew it, I wanted to stay and protect _you_ forever. I would have requested the honor of remaining as your knight once this crisis had passed – but I had no plan to ever approach you with my feelings beyond that.”

Zelda frowned, upset at the thought of him spending his life several steps behind her, alone, of never knowing that he cared for her. How fulfilling could such a life honestly have been, for either of them? “Why?”

At that question he blushed and fidgeted a little as he searched for a way to explain his thoughts, before finally saying, “I love the stars, everyone who knows me knows that. But though I know I can look at them most nights I want, I can never touch them, and that division, that separation, is always going to be there. You're like that – brilliant and bold and beautiful, and I am just another man amongst many, another soldier amongst a legion,” he continued explaining, a little more shyly now as his innermost thoughts spilled out. “When I realized that you returned my feelings, I didn't believe it at first, it was so incredible to me. But after what happened at Hateno, I knew that whether it seemed unreal or not, it _was_ real, and I decided that I _did_ want something beyond the life of a soldier, after all... that I really _wanted_ whatever life you would give me.”

Zelda was surprised, and even more touched than before. Did he _really_ see her as so... so unreachable, and himself as an average man? How could he not see how extraordinary he was _–_ and how _ordinary_ she was _?_ True, if he had placed himself on a pedestal he would be _Revali_ and not _Link,_ but still, even allowing for that _and_ disregarding the Hero persona, even just taking him as a man like any other, any sane woman would have been thanking _her_ lucky stars for gaining his attention and affection - just as she was, because she well and truly _did_.

It seemed they both did, and while she would never understand what he saw in her over Mipha or indeed any other woman, she wasn't about to argue the point.

“It's odd,” she murmured. “How we both saw things so alike, but from opposite ends.”

Ambiguous, still Link had no problem following her words, and he was definitely not expecting her to say that she saw him in a similar manner to the way he viewed her.

But that wasn't important, not right then. He could marvel over the matter later and wonder at his luck when she was sleeping, and he was on guard duty. Right now...

A tendril of golden hair had come loose from Zelda's updo and was brushing her cheek, and Link, eyes soft and boyish and full of wonder, tentatively reached up with one finger and brushed it back behind her ear. It was the first time he'd touched her on his own account, unbidden by her or necessity, and it was so light and tender, so airy she almost didn't even feel it.

“Zelda,” he breathed, “will you? Will you allow me to love you, to protect you for the rest of our lives? Despite your father's words of lands and titles, I have nothing to give you in return but myself.”

At that, the princess drew back a little and wrinkled her nose at him, giving him a still teary, yet ironic look. “Seriously?” She indicated the land around them with one hand and rolled her eyes. “I think I'll be okay, it's not as if I need you to support me – at least not monetarily... well, unless we lose this war, of course.” She didn't continue her thought out loud; that she definitely _did_ need Link's support, that it was his support of her despite all the setbacks and her failures to access her power until the last _possible_ moment, that had kept her trying so damn _hard_ to _be worthy._

Her hero shrugged dismissively at that. “We won't,” he threw out carelessly, as if he wasn't even concerned about that as a remote possibility.

And he wasn't. There was no way he was going to allow the Calamity to take anything more from her than it already had. Link had no problem with the duty he had yet to actually fulfill; facing and destroying Ganon so that she - and every other citizen of Hyrule, incidentally – would be safe again. He was actually looking _forward_ to that battle, to finally being able to breathe easy knowing that Zelda would never have to worry about that threat again for the rest of her life – even if things went wrong and _he_ didn't survive it.

He had no intentions of dying anytime soon, however. Especially not now.

“I wish I'd been able to ask you such an important question in a better place than this-” he frowned as he looked around, “a prettier place, not the remains of a battlefield with the entire army around us, but-”

A wet giggle met his words, and suddenly, he had an armful of princess for the first time ever. It was a circumstance that definitely took him off-guard, though he adjusted quite quickly and wrapped his arms around her, welcoming the unexpected affection more than he'd ever have thought possible.

“The place doesn't matter, silly,” she hiccuped and laughed helplessly, “only the question does! You could have asked me in the aftermath of a battle with everyone listening and I wouldn't have cared! Even a mere few hours ago I thought my feelings unrequited, had been resigned to loving you from afar, and now... well, I feel like I've eaten a skewer of rushrooms, if you must know, or like I'm a Rito, because I'm pretty sure I could fly. I almost don't know what to do with myself.”

Link smiled then, just a little, and tightened his embrace, tugging himself nearer to her warmth. “ _I_ do. Will you share yourself, share your life with me, princess, _please_?” he asked again, so softly, so very _earnestly_.

Zelda realized then that it was the second time he'd asked, and she had yet to answer him. Her throat was tight with emotion and her eyes burned with tears and joy and love, but she forced her voice out anyway, unwilling to make him wait any longer than he already had.

“Yes, Sir Link of Faron, I will share myself and my life with you. It will be my _honor_ ,” she breathed.

Her hero wasted no more time on words than that; the moment she'd finished accepting him, his eyes had gone soft yet so very bright, and before the princess knew what had hit her, he was kissing her...

… and kissing her, and kissing her... he seemed unwilling and even unable to stop, and she didn't mind in the slightest. She wound her own arms around him as tightly as she could, and melted into his embrace.

Now all that was left was to defeat the Calamity, and then they could get on with the _rest_ of their lives... together.


End file.
